Air Products data center proposal back in the spotlight this week
A proposal by Air Products to build a hyperscale data center campus at its former headquarters in Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, is back before the township's zoning hearing board this week for a public hearing. The project, which includes three data center buildings totaling 2.6 million square feet, requires zoning approval to be deemed a "similar use" in a Light Industrial district. The hearing was previously delayed after residents showed significant interest and an attorney for Air Products requested a continuance.
Air Products' proposal for a hyperscale data center campus at its former 194-acre headquarters in Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, is scheduled for a public hearing before the township's zoning hearing board this week. The plan, initially presented in December, involves constructing three data center buildings totaling 2.6 million square feet at 7300 Cetronia Road.
Residents previously packed a February hearing to learn about the project, which was then postponed to May at the request of Air Products' attorney, who cited the need for more information. The company is seeking approval for the data center to be classified as a "similar use" within the township's Light Industrial Park Zoning District. However, the proposal faces scrutiny, with Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) planners stating it "leaves too much to the imagination."
The zoning ordinance requires the proposed use to be less intensive in external impacts and similar in character to permitted uses in the district. In 2023, Air Products received approval for three warehouses on the property, but those plans never materialized. The public hearing is set for Wednesday at the Upper Macungie Township Municipal Building.